All I Ask of You
by An Asexual Bunny
Summary: When Annika Hardwick moves from the lovely, rainy Seattle to the humongous New York City, her life completely shifts. Between balancing who she is as a person and a hero causes the teen to question everything she knows. Coupling that with the relationships she has with people like Peter Parker and Ned Leeds and Spider-Man himself, Annie finds out more about herself than she wanted.
1. Chapter 1

p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The day had been far too long and far too short at the same time. Too long because Annie's classes had no point, but too short since she did not wish to leave. Annie had many reasons for not wanting to move to New York City. Namely because of how much she had already done in and for Seattle./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, Ann, you gonna do a last check?" Harper asked, putting their hood on over their red hair./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, some black hair getting in her face, "No, last night was the last time I run around here, my parents said we're leaving asap."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Damn, that sucks. I'm heading home with you then," Harper replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both of them walked along the rainy Seattle streets. The sky was cloudy and the water drizzled down. Annie had taken off her hoodie that day, wanting to feel the rain for the last time for what would probably be awhile. Maybe people would be relieved to go somewhere with less rain, but the drops that varied from ice cold to a humid warm had been something so familiar to the dark haired girl./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Two years of Annie's life had been spent attempting to use her powers to keep Seattle somewhat safe. It had taken what felt like forever for her to realize that she could use her powers. Better yet, that she could use her powers in order to become loved. After a few years of haphazardly keeping energy and electricity manipulation under wraps, Annie felt like she was just wasting her time. What was the point of having any kind of ability if she wasn't going out and using it?/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"On top of the normal horrors of puberty, the seemingly normal girl found out that she wasn't as normal as anyone could have originally thought. The powers essentially making her turn into a literal physics problem and that was putting it lightly. Physics was the one subject that simply didn't make any sense. Hence the reason as to why Annie hadn't exactly hit the national headlines. Then again, it just felt like crime was heavily packed over in New York City, but maybe that was just because of the Avengers./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Harper had been there as Annie first figured out her powers. The whole ordeal was a complete accident, of course no one purposely attempts to electrocute their friends. She just let herself absorb the electricity of a street lamp, but put no thought into it. If it hadn't been for Harper pointing it out and quickly moving to the side when Annie went to poke them. Both teens knew that something was wrong and quickly discovered just how abnormal Annie actually was./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"It was also the same ginger who helped Annie come up with a hero identity. Which incidentally was Annie's favorite restaurant in the whole city. What more could she say other than that she completely panicked when asked for her name? It wasn't like she could afford to use her real name. If Annie had learned anything from other heroes around the country, it was to try and keep who she was a secret at almost all costs./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, at least you'll have Broadway, and tall buildings, ooooh, and the Tony Stark. Maybe you could talk to him about becoming an Avenger," said Harper, giving Annie a playful nudge as their shoes splashed through a shallow puddle./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie laughed, rolling her dark brown eyes, "Oh, please, I really doubt that Iron Man has time to cater to a teenager."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They continued to talk about what could happen in New York. Both did their best to sound excited, though they fell into silence rather quickly. Life just wouldn't be the same without Harper there to give some makeshift advice and Annie gliding from buildings in the rain. Not to mention her performance school that had taught her so much about being in musicals. The same school that Annie had managed to practically take over when it came to the sopranos in the theater and choir departments./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"Being the White Swan wouldn't happen again until Annie moved. Even then, how could she do anything without knowing the area? It would probably be weeks before she could be any form of use. Maybe talking to Iron Man would be her best bet. Though that felt more like she was giving up too soon. New York could be easier to navigate than she thought, but that was probably wishful thinking. Either way she would be damned if she didn't attempt to navigate the Queens area on her own./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"The rain continued to drizzle, unconsciously mirroring the feelings both Annie and Harper seemed to hold back for each other's sake. Crying wouldn't keep Annie in Seattle and it wouldn't let her take Harper to New York either. They had to stop in front of a rather tall apartment building, and Annie's feet felt stuck to the cement. Although going inside would have been a good idea seeing her now drenched shirt and soaked hair. It looked as black as night and was probably a tangled rats nest. Still, she wasn't in a rush to go inside and get her suitcase./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So… I guess it'll be awhile before I see you," Harper murmured, shattering the silence./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, hugging her damp friend, "Yeah, but I'll call when I land…"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And just about every day after," Harper finished./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Right," Annie said just before a car horn honked, "Ah crap, it looks like I gotta go. I'll miss you, Harper," she added, waving at her ginger friend before rushing to the apartment to grab her remaining things./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting to New York was rather uneventful. Normally, Annie would be energized with all the travel in the air. The particular smell that airports had ended up intoxicating her. This time, she just wanted to be left alone. Still, airports and parents were never known for giving privacy./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ordinarily shoving headphones into Annie's ears made it clear that she wasn't about to start talking to anyone, but this time it felt like all her parents wanted to do was talk to her. As if talking about it would make them understand why she didn't want to leave. Sure, she was going to miss Harper, but that was bearable. Leaving the city she had been protecting , however, made it feel like she was just walking out on a job without a two weeks' notice./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You know that school has a theater program," her father said, purposely being loud enough to speak over her music./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie paused her music, "But it's a science school, the theater program is gonna be mediocre at best."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And maybe it's better you focused on science instead of acting, Annika, you know it's impractical," the balding man replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She shook her head, "I'm not interested in that though, I want to act or write. Is having impractical goals such a terrible thing?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now, Ann, that's not what your father said. What he means is that this change will be good for you," her mother explained, attempting to stop an argument from ensuing in the middle of the SEATAC airport./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a sigh, tucking her dark, tangly hair behind her ear, "It might be good for you, but that doesn't mean it is for me."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now you're just being overdramatic. You'll have friends in no time, and you'll be just fine in the drama department," her father concluded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The conversation was finished, Annie couldn't argue anything. All of her points were about theater and being White Swan. One of them her father believed to be impractical and the other would start far too much drama for it being early evening in an airport terminal./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After what felt like forever, which was actually halfway through the first act of RENT and twenty pages of a beaten up copy of The Phantom of the Opera, Annie had finally been boarded onto a nonstop flight to JFK. Flight attendants walked up and down the airplane's aisle, telling people to keep their trays up or for them to store carry-ons into the overhead bin. They were giving some kind of rundown about emergency exits on the off chance the airplane decided to drop out of the sky./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Before she knew it, the plane was circling Seattle, going higher and higher. Raindrops raced down the window as Annie looked at the Space Needle, seeing the sun start to set. The landmark got farther and farther from her until Annie could no longer tell what building was what./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The flight felt longer than anything else. Jumping up three time zones didn't help her either. It was well past dark when the plane landed. Nevertheless, JFK airport had her feeling like she was packed in a can of sardines. All Annie wanted was to get into the new apartment and crash on the floor./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" A taxi picked up Annie and her parents. It was true, the city really never slept. That was evident with the amount of traffic in the middle of the night. While it wasn't backed up, it was enough for her to wonder what everyone was doing. So many questions circulated around Annie's mind as her dad opened the door to the new apartment./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Since her parents went straight to bed, Annie didn't have much time to memorize the details of the place. Instead she went into the bathroom to call Harper. There wasn't much to say aside from the fact that she was alive. If nothing else, it would be Saturday, meaning Annie wouldn't have to worry about getting to school on time. Not that she looked forward to going to a school that she doubted would ever take fine arts seriously. Still, none of those concerns stopped Annie from passing out on the ground of what was meant to be her room at four in the morning./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After getting a whopping four hours of sleep, Annie woke up to sounds of traffic. It was simply blaring in the streets to the point it drove her crazy. Can't we save the honking for later? she wondered. Sluggishly, the girl walked around the new apartment, finding a place different from what she noticed in the middle of the night./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Though the setup of the apartment wasn't exactly what Annie worried about. Instead she could hear and feel a grumbling in her stomach. It was a reminder that the last time she had eaten was lunch the day before. Then she realized that the fridge was completely empty, meaning either she waited for her parents to do something about it or she was going to run off and do some exploring for food./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Looking at the clock, she decided that going out to find food was her best option. Her parents probably would've just told her to go out and find food anyhow. So she dug through her suitcase and threw on jeans and a hoodie. If she was going to go out and explore, she was at least going to try to not look like some sort of hobo. At least, that was what she claimed as she brushed through her wavy hair and stared at her tanned reflection in the mirror. It was time to forage for food in a completely different city which she knew nothing about./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, mom, I'm gonna go out and get some breakfast," Annie said quietly, not wanting to wake either of her parents./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Her mother groaned in response as Annie left the apartment. The streets were louder than they were inside and the buildings seemed to crowd around her. How anyone could find this much overcrowding normal, she had no clue. Sure, traffic happened in Seattle, but the place wasn't nearly so claustrophobic. There was a completely different energy about the city and she could practically feel it. Her powers felt like they had been turned up, energy almost everywhere she moved to. It was practically insanity. Annie had no clue what to make of the situation./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It took walking a few blocks before Annie found a small bakery. She got some coffee and a muffin. As she waited, she messaged Harper, a mischievous grin on her face, knowing that it was around five or six in the morning back home. After around five minutes, she got what she ordered and left the bakery. The only problem was she couldn't remember where to go. Hell, she didn't even remember what her address was. All the tall buildings looked so similar and she'd forgotten to look at the street signs. The morning was clearly going splendidly./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" How was she supposed to go about asking for help? As if anyone could help Annie in the first place. She was looking for an apartment building in a city that she knew nothing about. It didn't help that both of her parents were ignoring her texts. Maybe they weren't awake, but that didn't make the sudden ghosting any less inconvenient./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Resigning herself to defeat, Annie went back to the bakery and sat at one of the tables. If nothing else, it beat waiting out on the sidewalk where there appeared to be a few shady-looking people. Not even one day and she was already clueless. Being the White Swan would have to wait. At least until she figured out where she was going./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang as the door opened, and Annie heard someone walk in. She couldn't help but listen in on the exchange that was going on behind her. Though she didn't look behind her, she didn't want to seem like a stalker./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Good to see you, Ned, your usual I assume?" asked the lady at the counter./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, that and some green tea," responded who she could only assume was Ned./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie looked over to see who Ned was, faking that she needed to pop ber back. He looked about her age. If she grew a pair, she could ask him for help. Oh, but I'll probably just end up bothering the guy. she thought to herself, running a hand through her hair. That was when the one thing she hadn't expected to happen happened, Ned started to talk to her. Had she done something wrong? Was he some kind of mind reader and just knew that she was hopeless./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, do you mind if I sit here? My friend'll be here soon. Sorry, there's not much space," Ned said, nodding to the chairs./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, "Um, yeah, that's cool," she replied, checking her phone again, hoping to all the powers that she could pray to that her parents would just send an address./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Have you been here before?" asked Ned, sitting across from her./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, "Can't say that I have."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang again and Annie jumped a little. She looked over, seeing another guy and he walked over. As the guy approached her and Ned, she assumed this guy was probably the friend Ned had mentioned. He was kind of cute in a geeky type of way. If the situation had been just a bit less humiliating then she may have taken more time to stare./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, Ned you won't believe what happened last night-" the guy got cut off by Ned as he pulled out a chair and quickly sat down./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Look at the person I met!" exclaimed Ned, gesturing to Annie./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie smiled a bit and gave a small wave, "Um… hi, I'm Annie."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was a long, awkward pause between the three teens. It was clear that was when Annie was supposed to leave, and it was painfully obvious that what the other guy wanted to talk about was private. Looking at both of the guys, it was either about video games or getting laid, she was positive, maybe even both. That was what most guys talked about, or that was what she had noticed whenever she was around guys for a little bit too long./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, right, I'm Peter by the way," the guy added, giving Annie another chance to leave./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie still didn't get up to leave, though she knew she should have. At the same time, she wasn't about to make herself even more lost. Maybe if she said something they could help her. Still, she didn't want to bother them more than she already was. Though the time for her to leave without it being weird had passed approximately fifteen seconds before./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Are you new?" Ned asked./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, actually, I moved in last night, well, this morning actually," Annie replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She finally saw a chance open up for her, "Um… about that whole being new thing, I don't know where my apartment is."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both guys looked as if they were concerned, but also as though they were trying to not laugh at the same time. She couldn't blame them, it was easily the dumbest thing she had admitted to. Who didn't at least know the address to their home? A part of her just wished she could wake up and find out the whole experience had been some sort of crazy cautionary dream./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, that's not too terrible, do you have the address?" Peter asked, looking a bit worried for her./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, shaking her head "Nope, I have no clue where I live."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned grinned, "You came to the right people."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, then what do I do? I mean, do we walk around until I see something familiar? All these buildings look the same," she said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How far did you walk?" Peter questioned./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged in response, "Like… a few blocks. I turned a few times, but that's all I remember."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So you could be on four or five different streets, that's not terrible," Peter replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned pouted a bit, "Yeah it is, all that walking, dude!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I agree, that's super extra, I was just gonna chill until one of my parents text me back," Annie said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hmm… well, we can't just leave the new girl all alone. Where'd you come from anyways?" Ned asked, looking at her./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie took a drink from her coffee, "I'm from Seattle, so far, I like the west coast way better."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, come on, where's your Queen's pride?" Ned teased./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "In a box that's in a moving van that's never getting unpacked. West coast best coast, end of story," Annie retorted./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter laughed, "I'm sure you'll change your mind, but do you know what school you're going to?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, jeez, I don't even know where I live, let alone my school. I think it's town-something…" she trailed off in thought./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Midtown?!" Ned exclaimed./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "I think so? I'm not totally sure."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh boy, I think you're going to school with us!" Ned responded, beaming./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Nice! But the real question is if you guys gonna chill with me until I find out where I live," Annie commented./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned shook his head, "No, you're hanging out with us and I say you get a small tour."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You sure? I mean, I don't wanna bother you guys if there was something else you needed to do," Annie said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's really nothing, we were just gonna hang out and maybe study," Peter replied, taking another drink of green tea./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie grinned, "Well, if you both insist, I guess I don't have a good enough excuse to say no."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" So the three teens left the bakery with their drinks. The air was chilly as the autumn air became wintery. Annie shoved her right hand into her hoodie pocket, holding onto her coffee with her left one. Looking around, all she could see was how crammed together everything was./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "There's basically no sky, what the hell?" Annie commented as they walked./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned gave a small shrug, "That's what rooftops are for."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Or you could get in trouble and have a superhero save you and ask them to fly you around," Peter suggested./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, like Spider-Man?" asked Annie./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Wait, you know Spider-Man?" Ned replied giddily./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "Not personally, but he's on the news sometimes. Especially after that whole weapons deal about a month ago. I mean, the guy's daughter isn't too far from where I lived."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, Peter actually knows Sp-" Ned was cut off./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I have an internship at Stark Industries, I've seen Spider-Man a couple of times," Peter quickly explained./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Woah! That's super neat! Maybe I could get in on that," Annie said as the guys led her into a library./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They walked into a library where the shelves were far taller than her. Not to mention how many books there seemed to be. Maybe New York wasn't the absolute worst. It had to have an infinite number of books. She could have probably asked for anything and it would have been there. A part of her just wanted to suggest they just do nothing other than grab a random book and read. Something told her that it wouldn't have been so difficult to convince them/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'm not sure it works that way," Peter responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The three teens wandered around the library. They even went a round a few other places too, attempting to show Annie where the best places to go were for different things. She fit in just fine with Peter and Ned. It was working out great and Annie felt like she understood enough to even be White Swan that evening. All she needed was her home address. Some of the buildings started to look different from each other. Maybe she just hadn't been looking close enough to notice the differences beforehand./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Not that she would ever explain her abilities to those guys. They seemed nice enough ,but she had only known them for a few hours. The only person who had known back in Seattle was Harper, and that was only because they watched Annie as she discovered her powers in the first place. It was also Harper who had helped her to become a hero, she owed her friend so much./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Eventually, Peter had to run off to his internship and Annie finally got a text with her address. Ned and Annie agreed that all three of them should hang out again on Sunday. It would be Annie's last moments of freedom before going back to the normalcy of the week. Granted, there was no way that going to a new school could ever be normal. At least she wouldn't be going in with no friends. Her odds of finding some reason to like the move were starting to increase the more she realized she had made friends./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned helped Annie get back to her apartment, and they both parted ways as well. She walked into the apartment, telling her mom about the people she just met. It made her feel oddly normal for having just moved in. Hanging out with people was the type of thing that Annie was supposed to be doing. For the first time that day, she felt like she didn't have to argue with her dad about the move. It was still stressful to think about Seattle being unsafe, but it would be fine. That city had gone decades without her, and she wasn't giving up on using her powers. Not when it left her feeling a certain type of rush that she doubted anyone could understand./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When Annie made the excuse of wanting to watch Star Wars with her new friends that night, her mom bought it. She had her suit folded up in a purse and felt so grateful that she actually met people that day. It was the perfect excuse for her to be out late. Better yet, for being out as White Swan for the first time. Was it an impulsive and rash decision, most likely, but that was not about to stop Annie from going out and attempting to kick some ass. It wasn't like she was defenceless and it wasn't like she was new to being a superhero. She hadn't been trying to protect Seattle only to be stopped because of a city that was larger. Sure, Queens on its own was exponentially larger than Seattle, but what would the difference really be?/p 


	2. Chapter 2

p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" With winter being on the horizon, the days were shorter and it wasn't long until Annie was in the dark with her suit on. It was just silver leggings with a hoodie and mask, but it had more meaning behind it than the homemade look gave off. There were so many fond memories and Annie could even smell the last remnants of Seattle in the fabric./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She could almost remember the whir of Harper's sewing machine. It had been their idea, running with the name Annie had randomly come up with. Annie loved the outcome with Harper adding white, fairly intricate wings that connected the arms to the body. Although, it had been beaten up over time, the suit still hid her identity just fine. The last thing she needed was some pissed off evil dude tailing her at school. As long as the now off-white hoodie was able to keep her warm, she was going to be fine./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" For being New York City, there wasn't anything too crazy happening. There were a couple pot dealers, but she didn't see the point in going after them. Unless they were about to kill someone, she didn't see the harm that they could do. It was just a calm, chilly night, which felt wrong for being in such a huge city./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Of course, that was until Annie heard shouting. She tiptoed to the alley and was about to steal some electricity from a street light before going at the robbers when a bright red and blue figure jumped down from the top of a building. Obviously, it was Spider-Man, and of course he would steal her thunder. A part of her wanted to insist that he was overrated, maybe he was, but Annie couldn't bring herself to be bitter. He was better prepared and had a nicer suit./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Instead of fighting robbers and doing neat things with her powers, Annie did small things. Though, she could see Spider-Man swinging his way through the city. Maybe she would meet him someday. Hell, she could have even passed him on the street. It was a big city, so she didn't dismiss the possibility. There was no way to know./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The first day of school had Annie feeling small knots in her stomach, but she wasn't as anxious as she had thought. It was only thanks to Peter and Ned, but she was excited either way. They had even gone to Manhattan the day before to see Times Square. Mainly because Annie apparently needed to see all the touristy places, but it was really because the boys wanted to go to the Hershey's store./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" That little bakery they had met at became their meeting place because Annie was positive she would get lost on her own, even with using a GPS to get there. After their first meeting, Peter and Ned didn't doubt it. They were more than happy to help her get to school. The trio walked to school through the traffic, horns honking all over the place. Rush hour was just beginning and it was only seven in the morning./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "This place is way too clogged, I mean, people aren't even honking at anything," Annie said, looking around at the busy streets./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I don't even notice it anymore," Ned replied with a shrug./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, her eyes still trying to take in the vehicles along with the tall buildings, "I don't think I could get used to all this."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Classes were a bit awkward with some teachers introducing her. Given the choice, Annie would rather pretend she had been there the whole time. She already had friends in the school, and she wasn't sure that she wanted more than two. All she wanted was people she could talk to, she didn't want to become te popular new girl. Though it was pretty easy to just blend in, taking notes and listening to the music on her phone if she wasn't talking to Ned or Peter. English was the first class she didn't know anyone in./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" With Peter and Ned, she'd had a class with at least one of the pair. It was their self-proclaimed jobs to ensure that Annie didn't spontaneously combust from anxiety. She didn't have the heart to explain that she was extroverted most of the time. Meeting new people wasn't what she minded, it was suddenly being forced to meet too many people at once. All the unfamiliar faces were a bit weird for her, but it would just take some getting used to./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The teacher placed her next to someone named Michelle since that was where an empty desk was. English was probably one of Annie's easiest subjects, only because her dad took some of his college literature essays back home to grade. Growing up around someone who was constantly correcting students made it easy for Annie to make different mistakes instead. Though Annie ended up being quiet during the class discussion since she didn't have a copy of The Great Gatsby on her. Instead, she noticed that Michelle wasn't talking at all and didn't seem to have a reason to be on the outside of the talk like Annie did./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You seem new," Michelle said bluntly./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "And you seem like you didn't read the book that the class is talking about."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Yeah, The Great Gatsby is overrated," Michelle replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, "But it's not, and besides, I've read it before. I'll tell you what to say if you help me find my next class."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both would have helped each other anyways. Annie liked having the chance to truly meet new people, while Michelle saw Annie's class was just down the hall. Despite disagreeing on virtually everything, they couldn't stop talking to each other when they were supposed to be getting through some symbolism worksheet. Maybe it was because they were both so levelheaded and knew what they were talking about. Being able to talk to someone who didn't agree with Annie, but wasn't a jerk about it was refreshing to say the least./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So why are you here?" asked Michelle, pretending to write something down./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "Like in a spiritual way or…"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No," Michelle laughed, "why did your parents move here?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, shaking her head as she scribbled some nonsense onto the paper, "That was dumb… my dad's teaching literature at Colombia."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Holy shit, really?! That's insane!" Michelle nearly exclaimed, quickly earning a scolding look from the teacher./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" By the time the class was over, Annie had another friend. Classes went by as they normally could for a first day at a new school. Lunch ended up being one of the least dreaded events of the day thanks to now having three friends./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She sat across from Ned and Peter, Michelle was at the other end of the table, pretending to ignore them. Though Michelle would jump in with something to say every once in awhile. It felt like Annie had been there for the whole school year. Blending in with her new friends was simple, especially when they were all so nice. Well, Annie figured that Michelle would say otherwise, but that hardly mattered. The calm vibe that was at the table quickly shifted when another male approached the table./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Penis Parker, I see you found the newbie," the guy jeered, a smirk on his face./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Flash, quit being a dick," Ned replied, glaring./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Flash rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I just came to tell the new girl she could get a friend upgrade."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… the new girl has a name," Annie muttered, continuing to eat her food./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well what is it?" Flash asked, leaning against the lunch table./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie smirked, "Knulla Dig, people call me Knulla though. But I'd say I found some pretty neat people, so I won't take you up on that offer."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You'll change your mind, Knulla," Flash replied before walking away, shaking his head./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was a long, awkward pause as they thought about what was just said. Annie shrugged a bit, going to her food. Being able to act tended to leave Annie being pretty good with lying to people./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned broke the silence, "Dude, why?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I didn't like him, so I told him fuck you in Swedish," Annie said, shrugging again./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Wait a minute, you know Swedish?" Peter questioned./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh no, I only know a couple cuss words in it. I'm not that cool, my mom knows a bit," Annie responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The group continued to eat in silence. As classes resumed, Annie didn't have anything terribly eventful happen. It was just an average first day. She had homework and if she was behind, she would have to eventually catch up. Though her main issue was definitely physics class./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It had always been a main flaw of hers, and it was easily her most ironic one. Ever since Annie was eleven she had her powers. She was a human physics equation, and that was why the subject always left her frustrated. Of all people, she should have been a genius when it came to physics, but she just couldn't wrap her head around the subject./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When the school day ended, Annie left her physics class to go home. She was stuck on her own. Peter, Ned, and even Michelle had clubs to go to after school. So Annie put in her headphones and walked back to her apartment./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Walking back to her apartment, Annie didn't get lost, but that was only because of the GPS on her phone. A part of her was tempted to explore the city on her own. What stopped her was her lack of money. She left it all at home. Besides, she didn't have a job so she needed to save what she had./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How was your day, sweetie?" her mom asked as she entered the apartment./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "It was alright, I think I'll be okay there. I mean, I already have some friends."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "That's good. Oh, the moving van showed up, so I need you to unpack your stuff," her mom replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, picking up her boxes from the ground, "Alright, I'll get some of it done."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Though Annie really wanted to go out and see the city again. Maybe this time Spider-Man wouldn't steal her thunder. She had to show that she mattered even while being new. Regardless of whether or not he had a cooler suit than her, she wanted to prove that she could be just as good as him./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie unpacked most of her clothes and blankets, but she couldn't stop staring out her window. It had always been difficult, making excuses to be out of the house. She had gotten in trouble for it too, since she would rarely be where she claimed. Of course, that beat the idea of telling her parents that she was actually a superhero./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Upon finishing, Annie laid on her finally made bed. The evening was very uneventful, having gotten done with nearly all her homework, so she asked to leave to go study. Maybe she could find a way to prove herself./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, can I maybe go study at one of my friends' houses tonight?" she asked when she walked into the living room./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "With whom?" her dad asked, looking up from what appeared to be some papers./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "With this one girl, Michelle, she wants to help me with physics," Annie said, hopeful, making sure to add, "You are the one who wanted me to focus on science."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" With a little bit more convincing, Annie finally got to leave. Constantly lying did leave a bad taste in the brunette's mouth, but it was necessary. She knew that her parents would never let her glide along in a makeshift costume fighting robbers and the occasional villain. It was insanely dangerous, but she felt like she was wasting her time if she didn't use her powers./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Things were turning out to be quite a bit crazier than the previous night. As Annie glided from building to building, energy catching in the makeshift wings, she saw something. It appeared almost as though someone was being beaten up in an alleyway. It was her chance to show what she could really do. Well, mainly a chance to help someone get out of a tough situation./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Quickly, she glided down, simply absorbing the energy into herself, "Let her go," Annie demanded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Or what, you'll kill me?" a scraggly man slurred./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Of course the guy was drunk! Still, Annie wasn't scared, quite the opposite, actually. She channeled some electricity from the street light near her and used some of the electricity on the man. Not much, just enough to give him a slight shock. Enough to make him realize she wasn't some loon in a dumb costume./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It was enough for the girl to get free, though the girl seemed to fall down. The girl was injured, but Annie had to make sure this guy didn't just get away. It was too dark for Annie to see what she looked like. He tried to run away, but Annie quickly set up a barrier of energy around him. Now the man was unable to leave, she looked over at the girl./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, are you alright? I can call for help if you need," Annie said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The lady shook her head, "I don't need that, you should really let him go, he's just drunk."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No, he wasn't 'just drunk', he hurt you. I can't let him go like that," Annie replied sternly./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But he's a customer… if I don't… it's not gonna end up well for me. Just let me do my job," she explained with an anguished tone, rubbing her ankle./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Shit, Annie thought, it almost sounds like a trafficking ring. Getting a better look at the lady, she appeared to be a girl. It was possible that she was around Annie's age. Leave it to her to find a potentially huge network of organized crime before she could even memorize her way home. This wasn't the sort of thing she dealt with in Seattle, and she was left staring blankly. Thank the lord for her mask otherwise she would have looked like such an idiot./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "So you have to do this? Like, against your will?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, I don't mind. If I do well at this then Dar- my pimp treats me very well," the girl responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Seeing that the drunk man had passed out, Annie let down the barrier so she could get to the girl. She sat next to her, and Annie saw that the girl couldn't possibly be much older than herself. The girl's short, curly dark hair seemed to be stuck to her face from sweating./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'm gonna get you out of this, it's not right that you're hurt. We need to get you to a hospital," Annie said, noticing what seemed to be signs of injection on the other girl's arms./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The girl shook her head, "No, I don't need some girl in a silly costume helping me."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But you obviously do, and I'm going to regardless," Annie replied, though she was definitely not going to admit that she had no clue what to do./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There wasn't anyone to talk to, or a way to figure out how to help this girl. Unless she physically hid this girl in her room, which was impossible, there was no way for Annie to take care of this on her own. Though as she thought, she could hear some footsteps and looked up to see what was going on./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Why the hell aren't you working, whore? And who the fuck is this?" asked a rather large, clearly sober man./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'm a customer," Annie replied drily./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "The fuck you are, and what the fuck are you doing with my whore?!" the man yelled./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The man kept getting closer and closer. Annie could smell the cigarette breath off of the guy, and she could tell just how much taller he was than her. It wasn't like she couldn't handle this guy. He was just a regular man and she had powers. She absorbed the energy that she could feel through the streets and shoved him back into the wall./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He tried to struggle against the barrier Annie held up, a blue green hue appearing the more force she put into keeping the man against the wall. This had to have been the guy that the girl had been talking about./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, wait… what?" Annie heard another voice as well as light footsteps./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie turned to see Spider-Man. It felt insane to actually see the guy so close up. Still, this was her chance to show just what she could do. She shoved the man back again, only making him angrier. Just as Annie stole more electricity from a different street lamp, Spider-Man wrapped the guy in webbing against the wall./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I so had that!" Annie exclaimed, crossing her arms, the barrier of energy going away./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Who're you?" Spider-Man asked before Annie could complain anymore./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Giving a sarcastic curtsey, Annie said, "White Swan, at your service."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… what the hell's happening? I can't get up because my leg's fucked, and you just… webbed my pimp," the girl commented, sounding rather distressed./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a nod, "Right, erm… we're gonna help you out."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You said something like that already," the girl retorted./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man seemed to give what Annie could only guess was a confused look, "Don't we just take her to a hospital?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No! That's where they'll look first. You guys shouldn't have done anything," the girl trailed off./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Alright, alright, I'm thinking… do you have anywhere to go? I mean there's gotta be a place that can help you," Annie rambled, "What's your name anyways?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's Tina, and, look, I can help myself." Tina insisted, attempting to stand up as she used the wall as a crutch./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You're in pain and can't even walk. You need help," Spider-Man replied, concern etched in his voice./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How do you-" Tina was cut off./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Spidey senses, I know when things are happening and how people are feeling," he explained./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed impatiently, "Or you could've just noticed that she's limping around. We need to focus, Spidey, find somewhere for Tina to go. Like a church or a convent or a homeless shelter… a place that could take care of her."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man nodded, picking up Tina, "Yep, also, I saw a church with a homeless shelter a few blocks away… sorry, I should've asked if I could pick you up, I-I meant to, but I don't know you could get anywhere easily without… well without falling."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They ended up walking, and that was when it all truly hit Annie: she was walking with Spider-Man. She had actually spoken to Spider-Man. Harper was going to completely flip. Especially if she brought up the fact that the guy kind of sounded like a dork. It was true, though, he sounded just as confused as she did./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"When they finally got to the church, Tina insisted on going in herself, using the wall as a crutch. Though Annie wasn't about to leave until she was positive that Tina was going to be staying in the building. Then both heroes left to go back to the spot. Wanting to make sure that they could arrest the piece of garbage that Spider-Man webbed to the wall/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The only problem was that when they got back the guy was gone. It looked like something had cut through the webbing. Something told Annie that wasn't how things were supposed to work. Of course, she didn't know how webbing was supposed to work in the first place, but the narrowed eyes on Spider-Man's costume concerned her a bit./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You know this means there are more of them, sex slaves and pimps, I mean," Annie said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man nodded, "Yeah, I know. It'll get sorted out though, you have nothing to worry about."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Exactly, because I'll be taking care of it," Annie insisted./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man paused, "You don't need to, you're obviously new."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I've done this for long enough. Besides, you sound like a fetus," Annie retorted as she crossed her arms./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… excuse you. Fine, we can work together on it," Spider-Man replied, sighing a bit, "Mr. Stark is gonna freak if I tell him you're doing this."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well then just don't tell him. Now, if you don't mind, I've gotta get home before my parents flip," Annie said, running off so she could remember how to get home. The last thing she wanted was for Spider-Man to know that she was so new that she couldn't even remember how to get back home./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When Annie got home that night, she called up Harper, her heart racing with excitement, "You're never gonna guess what happened!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You saw a roadkill pigeon?" Harper mused, sketching audible in the background./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie rolled her dark brown eyes, as she worked on some trigonometry homework "No, and ew… I met Spider-Man!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Wait… no shit? I feel like you're lying to me… so you seriously met him?!" Harper asked, the sketching sound stopped./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The dark-haired girl laughed, "Yes, I did, now let me tell you everything."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well then stop with all the lead-ins and tell me about Spider-Man already!" they exclaimed, and Annie had to take the phone away from her ear because of how loud Harper yelled./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After laughing, Annie started to retell all the crazy events of that night./p 


	3. Chapter 3

p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The next morning was different for Annie. Mainly since she stayed up until past midnight to tell Harper about the previous night. Annie couldn't leave out the fact that he was borderline insufferable with him acting like he knew what he was doing. There was no way that he could possibly know any more than she did, not when he was clearly her age. It was just so obvious that the other superhero was a teenager. The way he acted and spoke just screamed that he was around her age./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She sleepwalked her way through a good amount of the school day. No amount of caffeine was enough to keep the girl from dozing off and spacing out of her classes. Ned questioned it, but Peter seemed rather tired too. Annie just claimed that she stayed up reading Pride and Prejudice. That was the book she was seen with, she just hoped that no one pointed out that she was less than twenty pages into the classic./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Better than me, I was up watching conspiracy theories," Peter said, talking over a yawn./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" As badly as Annie wanted to press further, she knew that she had no right. If she asked too many questions then he probably would too. The last thing she wanted was to blow her own cover when she hadn't even been in the city for very long./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Days were starting to go by with a sort of simplicity. Well, everything except for her theater class. There was already a set hierarchy that Annie just wasn't a part of. She was automatically thrown to the bottom of the metaphorical food chain. The worst part was that most of the class was filled with girls, hardly any guys. Even then, most of those guys could barely act. It was all a joke to her after getting out of a performing arts school where she'd had a minor role in the spring production./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The black-haired girl felt she was better than everyone else, but no one bothered to realize it. Needless to say, it left her feeling rather hopeless and left out of the normal theater kid shenanigans she was used to. Then there were other issues that were completely unrelated to her acting and singing abilities./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Truth be told, Annie had no clue how she was supposed to meet Spider-Man again. They never discussed a meeting place or a time. It wasn't like she had any way to text him or something. All she could do was hope that the art of coincidence was on her side. It was a little bit fishy to her. Why would he claim they could work together and then not offer a place to meet?/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Physics was still the death of her and it was as irritating as ever. How was she supposed to ever really use her powers if she didn't even understand their concepts? She hated how the main reason she could use her powers was due to past coincidences and accidents that occurred. Why couldn't she have sucked at something like history or English? Nope, she was terrible at something that she would genuinely need. Not to mention that she was in a school geared towards science, so Annie was practically fighting to get a C in the class as it was./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" At least there was Peter. Annie would bother him continuously in the class. Though something told her that he didn't mind her constantly pestering him. They worked together on a worksheet, but it was more like her asking a million questions and writing down what he did./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You're almost hopeless in this class," Peter commented as he wrote down more work./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, "I know, I don't even know how to do anything. It wasn't like this in Seattle at all."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… well, maybe I could help you for a bit after school," Peter suggested./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie thought a moment before nodding, "Sure! I can't stay long though, my parents want me home kind of early tonight."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It was a lie, but what else could she tell him? I have an important meeting with Spider-Man that should've happened days ago? Like hell was she about to do that. At that point she should have just started telling everyone on the street that she was a superhero./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The day finally ended, and the both of them left the last hour class to get to the library. They both seemed to be a little tense. However, both were far too preoccupied to notice the other. Still, they both got out their stuff to study./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, it turns out I don't have much time myself, the internship needs me to do some stuff," Peter explained./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "That's fine, I just needed a crash course anyways. I'm not gonna become an expert in an hour or two."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Right, so what do you wanna cover first?" he asked./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, how about energy balance? I mean, I just think I should probably know that, I kinda bombed the quiz about that," she replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Of course Annie chose the one thing that appeared to relate to her powers the best. It took a lot of drawing to get the girl to have any type of understanding. Peter's drawing of a rollercoaster was mediocre at best, but Annie didn't mind. The picture did kind of help her understand how energies were supposed to work together. It actually felt like it was making sense. Though they both had to leave rather soon, and Annie found herself lost in the city again./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Her phone had died because she forgot to charge it after calling Harper the night before, so her GPS was obviously useless. It was a complete pain for her, and she had no one to talk to about it. Then there was the possibility of Spider-Man looking for her, or worse, he was already figuring things out before she could. She just wanted to scream or cry with her frustration kicking in, feeling as though making it back to her apartment and running off within the next fifteen or twenty minutes would make up for days of lost time./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… Miss, are you alright?" an extremely familiar voice asked./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie turned, her jaw dropping when she saw who the voice belonged to, "Oh, uh, yeah? I'm good, just a bit lost."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I can help with that," Spider-Man replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She shook her head, "That's okay, you probably have more important stuff to do."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Nonsense, I'm the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, I gotta keep it local," the hero insisted./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They stood in silence for a bit. Annie contemplated explaining that she was White Swan. Though she didn't feel like giving herself away just yet. Even if Spider-Man seemed to be alright, she wasn't about to let down her guard that easily. He had left her hanging for days, she wasn't about to trust someone like that. The only reason she wasn't pushing him away was because she knew that she couldn't remember which way she was supposed to go to get to the apartment building./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, come on, miss, let me help you," he pleaded, his eyes seeming to get bigger./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "Alright, you got me, I actually have the address right here."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She dug into her jean pockets before pulling out a piece of paper with the address of the building. The writing done messily in black ink from when she asked her mom what the address was and she wrote it down for Annie./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, you're not too far off. I'll just walk you there," he offered, and Annie wasn't sure how to say no./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was a huge awkward silence between them. Annie wanted to ask if he was looking for someone. That would be too odd of a question, so she decided against it. Still, she really wanted to know who this guy was, and if he even bothered to think about what happened a few days before. She wanted to have the chance to catch him by surprise and make him feel like the awkward one./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You seem new," Spider-Man commented as they walked./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a half-hearted laugh, "It's that obvious? I'm guessing it's because I was lost."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Yeah, you were pretty clueless, but it's a big place. And here you are," he replied, stopping in front of the building./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She nodded, "Oh, right, thanks."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, I'll see you around, miss," he said, about to web away./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um, it's Annie, I'll see you around maybe." she responded as she entered her building./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Walking into an empty apartment, Annie took some time to charge her phone and get food. Knowing she would likely run into Spider-Man again felt somewhat assuring. Working with someone would probably help her to feel less insane about everything that was going on. On the other hand, she didn't want to end up with little credit. Not to mention that she needed to give him a hard time for completely leaving her hanging./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Once dressed in her suit, Annie glided out of her window, catching the energy. She looked around, truly able to see the sky. The first thing she did was use her vantage point to try and retrace her steps. Seeing everything did help her to put it all in perspective. She could even see the church and the homeless shelter next to it./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie went inside of the shelter when she landed, hoping to find someone. It made her feel a bit odd, the way she just went in. Finally, she saw an old man in a robe./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, um, Mr. Priest Sir, I need to talk to you," Annie said, approaching him./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, yes, I was told I might see some odd-looking people. Tina is doing well," the priest replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie straightened a little, the girl really had expected to see them again after all, "Can I speak with her? It's important."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "She said that she does not wish to see anyone at the moment," he responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "Please, I wanted to talk with her."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I will keep the wishes of my patrons," he stated firmly./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She nodded, "Okay, I guess I'll go then."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It was then that Annie saw the girl. Annie rushed over to the side room. There were so many questions she had. She had no clue as to where she would start. The girls just looked at each other. She waited for the priest to leave before rushing into the room to talk to Tina./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I have some questions, and I understand if you can't answer them," Annie started, unsure if she was making the best decision./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I don't wanna talk about it, I'm not your charity case," Tina said, turning away to leave the room./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, "Yeah, right, of course, but Tina, if you help me… well, we could save a lot of other girls. Surely that means something to you."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Look, I get that you think you're helping, but you're just getting in the way. I'm finally healing up, getting cleansed. That priest guy has been so helpful. I don't wanna ruin that," Tina replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie stopped for a moment, "But I could get rid of those terrible people, they wouldn't be around to ruin it for you."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And then what? Others will come anyways. It makes no difference, I don't want to have any part in anything else that happens," Tina retorted./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, "You're missing the point, it makes a difference for the people involved, Tina. For the people that are like you."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, my point is that I'm out. I don't wanna be involved anymore, I'm done," replied Tina, seeming to have a firm tone./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, but relented, "Okay, I guess I'll go then, but you'll have to talk about it to someone eventually. It's your choice if it's me or the police."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Walking out of the church, Annie felt relieved for the mask that covered her face. It kept her from looking as defeated as she felt. Besides, that Spider-Dude had probably done all that work anyways. Maybe that was why he never gave a meeting place. Maybe that was why he left her hanging for a week. And maybe she wasn't going to end up making a difference./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Still, she walked along, looking for trouble. There wasn't much for her to do aside from scaring off some thief. It had been a half hour since she gave up on finding Spider-Man. Then, just as she finally gave up any type of hope, she saw the red and blue guy. She could hardly contain just how infuriated she was. It was her chance to truly prove herself. Before approaching him, she gathered all the energy she could from the busy New York streets./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Where the hell were you?!" Annie exclaimed, using the energy to shove Spider-Man backwards./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There seemed to be an expression of surprise on the guy, or his eyes were all the way white at least. He tried to say something, but Annie hit him again before he could say it. So instead of getting hit around, he went to fight back. It wasn't long before they were both fighting. The only thing was that they weren't fighting to kill each other. It was more like they were arguing without saying anything at all./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie continued gathering energy, using it to deflect webbing and to get in more hits. They both kept going, but Annie wasn't quite used to such an intense fight. She hadn't thought that he would fight back and actually be difficult. It was to the point Annie spent more time dodging attacks rather than giving them. As they continued to fight, she wondered if it was the best idea./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Odds were that she should have thought ahead and decided against fighting against someone who was obviously better prepared for a fight than she was. After all, she wasn't completely sure of what she was doing. She didn't want to use any electricity if she could help it. Her plan hadn't been to hurt the guy, just to get her point across. Though she quickly forgot what her point even was./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, okay, I think we should-" Annie started, putting her hands up in surrender./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"When she put her hands up, her right wrist was webbed to a brick wall. Needless to say, Annie had seen better days and had made better decisions. As she tried to pull her wrist away, she quickly realized it was in vain./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man approached her, "Okay, um, so Swan Lady, what was all that about?" he asked, sounding as awkward as ever./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, you webbed me to this motherfucking wall, and now you can't even remember my name?! Why don't you tell me what all this was about?" Annie exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she spoke./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "S-sorry about that, miss, it's been a long week. A-an-and you attacked me," he pointed out./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, "I know, you're right… sorry it's just… I don't know. How long am I long am I stuck like this anyways?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, right. Just a half hour or so," said Spider-Man with a shrug./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie bit her lip in thought, "Or, instead of waiting for that long we can figure out how that one guy got out so fast."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Actually, I was gonna leave and come back later. You do some serious damage when you're mad," he replied, slowly backing up./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She glared, "You were the one not taking me seriously. I was mad, I wanted to prove you wrong. It's like… I could've blown something up and it would make no difference," she trailed off, "I talked to Tina. She's not any help."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Maybe Annie had been relying a little too heavily on Tina. After everything that the other girl must have gone through, Annie didn't fully blame her for not wanting to talk about it. Though at the same time it was awful, the first real mission she was starting to formulate, she couldn't even make any headway on./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Look, Swan, it's not your fault. If she doesn't want in, you can't force her. I know it's hard, but you can't save everyone," he pointed out./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She nodded, "You're right, but I'm still gonna figure this out."br / "Not on your own, I wouldn't let you," he said./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie huffed, frowning, "And why not? I'm powerful enough for it."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You're new. If you thought I sounded like a fetus earlier… then you sound like… like an unfertilized egg," Spider-Man countered./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She rolled her eyes, pursing her lips, "I've been doing this for long enough. You just haven't been around to see it."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Sure, Jan," he deadpanned./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She scoffed, "If I hadn't been there when I was that girl would've been worse off. Hell, she could be dead in a dumpster if I hadn't been there!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Maybe, but just look at your costume, you're a disaster waiting to happen, I would know. You don't have any armor or anything that could allow you to make a mistake," he maintained./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It wasn't an incorrect statement, which was why Annie stayed silent for a few moments. God, this hero was insufferable. She couldn't figure out why people seemed to like him so much when all he did was talk down to her. He talked as if she didn't have any powers at all. The whole conversation left Annie longing to slug the guy, but that would just leave her back at square one. Maybe if she could just prove him wrong in a different way. That was when her eyes glinted with the hint of an idea./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Disaster, maybe, but smarter, without a doubt," Annie stated./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The city was teeming with energy and she gathered what she could of it. When she pulled, the energy finally allowed her to break free from the wall. Annie couldn't help but give a mocking shrug as she used electricity to disintegrate the webbing to ash. The black dust that was left over scattered and was hardly even visible when she finished wiping it off of her hands./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man stood there with his arms crossed. With the mask on, Annie kept on trying to figure out what type of emotion he had on his face. Of course, that was impossible for her, especially with the silence between the two superheroes. It was a heavy silence where, if nothing else, Annie knew that Spider-Man was thinking about something. The problem was that she couldn't tell what that was./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, you gonna say anything, Spidey?" she asked, rocking back and forth on her heels./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was another silence before he started speaking, "What the- how the- you just… what do you even do?!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, that's a great question… I mean, I've had these powers for years, so I guess I screw around with energy and electricity, I don't really know for sure," she explained with a small shrug./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man paused, seeming to take a moment to think, "If you really think you can handle it, fine. But you're not doing a trafficking case alone, Swan."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, but if you doubt me for one second, I'm out. I've worked alone before and I'll do it again," Annie responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He shrugged, "Fine, maybe you have, but that was before. You're not doing that anymore."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And why not?" she countered./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He started to pace, "Well, you're looking for a fight. You don't have anyone here to give you advice. I-I guess I just don't want to see you by yourself when you don't have to be."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" That was true enough, and it left Annie wondering if he was as condescending as she had initially found him to be. It was clear that she didn't have anyone there to help her. There wasn't anyone close by for Annie to confide in. Sure, there was Harper, but they were across the country. It wasn't like they could sit and gossip over a cup of coffee or go over different costume designs. Asking her parents was completely off the table. Then she couldn't get over how sincere Spider-Man had sounded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After a few moments of silence, she relented, "Okay, Spidey, partners it is. But then what're we doing about the trafficking?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, we know whoever's behind it knows how to get away quick," he replied, seeming to be staring at nothing, almost as if he was in thought./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Discussing the situation pointed out a handful of conclusions. Annie needed a better White Swan suit, they needed to find the headquarters, and they were both were definitely high school students. Had an adult been there, both heroes would have been barred from the operation. They wanted to make a difference on their own, if nothing else, they agreed on that. If Spider-Man hadn't wanted her on the mission then he would have made that clear earlier. Hell, he wouldn't have bothered to have the conversation that they were having./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Suddenly having to work with the person Annie perceived as insufferable and cocky changed things up a bit. She still found Spider-Man to be infuriating, but she also found that he meant well. It was better than someone who was impossible to deal with and had a massive ego./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They didn't have a plan yet, but they would in time. It was hard to have any sort of plan when they had no clue of what they were even doing. Annie felt that at the bare minimum, she was clever enough. If nothing else, it was nice to not have everything going on be just inside of her head./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed a bit, "But what about Tina?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, I can try convincing her instead. It might work, I don't know though," Spider-Man responded before seeming to listen to something else, "We should probably get home, it's pretty late."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It had been late, and when Annie snuck back into her apartment, she claimed that she had taken a long nap. Thankfully her parents took that excuse and she went back to her room to call Harper. They were the only person that Annie could use to talk things through with./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, did you finally meet Spider-Man again?" Harper asked as soon as she picked up the phone./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie laughed a bit, "Hello to you too, Harper. And yes, I kinda fought with him, but it's all okay now."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "That's not something you hear every day. So are you guys, like, friends now? Or do you still find him to be overrated?" Harper questioned, seeming to mock their friend./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie scoffed, "I don't know what you're insinuating here, but I guess… we're actually just working together right now."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, that's good. Just don't let emotions get in the way of the job too much. Well, you know what I mean," they replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Woah, woah, woah. What?! I don't have any feelings towards that guy. I've only talked to the guy for the total of an hour!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Mhm… you say that, but then you got so defensive."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I most certainly did not! You take that back!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I will when you stop fangirling over the guy, but I gotta go, I'll talk to you later, Ann, bye!" Harper said before hanging up./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The click of the phone being hung up left Annie laying on her bed to see that it wasn't quite midnight. What she needed to do was get the reading for her history class done, but the sheets on her bed were just too soft and warm. Annie couldn't bring herself to get off of her twin bed to walk over to her backpack and get the textbook. Before she could even realize it, her eyelids drooped down. Not long after, her eyes were closed and she drifted off to sleep with the light on./p 


	4. Chapter 4

p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After a couple of weeks, it was nearing the end of November and Annie had secured herself as the stereotypical theater kid. Constantly listening to showtunes and memorizing monologues faster than she could memorize equations. She started to move up the metaphorical food chain, gaining the respect of a few of the people in the theater class. Mainly the girls who sang in lower vocal registers. It was like the girls that shared choir and theater could smell another soprano from a mile away. They didn't outright say anything rude to the newer girl, but they would seem to leave her out of anything they talked about during breaks. So Annie found herself finding friends in some of the alto section instead./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Outside of the world of theater and singing, she had found some form of friendship with Spider-Man. Well, it was more of a frenemy relationship. They were both on the same side, but they had completely different ways of solving problems. The conflicting ideas sometimes got to be a bit much, but they often ended up finding a way to compromise. Especially after the other hero had managed to talk Tina into working with them on the case. Not to mention the solid friendship she had with Peter and Ned along with the interesting friendship she'd acquired with Michelle./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Holy shit! You guys, did you see what he spring musical's gonna be?" Annie asked, practically slamming her books on the lunch table as she grinned at the two boys sitting across from her./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned shrugged, unwrapping his sandwich, "What about it?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's West Side Story and auditions are right before winter break," she replied, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter gave a look, thinking he was catching on to why Annie was telling them, "And you're going to audition, right? That's one of the musicals you keep listening to and tearing up about."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, no shit, Sherlock, it's super sad and of course I'm auditioning! But I want you both to audition too! Oh, come on you guys, it'll be fun!" Annie pleaded, batting her eyes as she sat down and pulled out her lunch./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I mean, as much as I would like to I have the-" Peter was cut off./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Stark internship, I know. However, Pete, having multiple things on your resume looks better though, it makes you seem rounded," she replied insistently as she opened a bad of potato chips./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned laughed, "You know what? Fuck it, I'm in, it could be fun. But I'm not too sure about what they'll think of my voice."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh please, you were doing that off-key stuff on purpose and you know it," Annie stated as she popped a chip in her mouth./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter frowned, "W-well why can't I just be a techie person instead?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Because I heard you singing when we were all watching Aladdin last weekend. You could easily get the lead," Annie responded before leaning forward, "Please? I don't wanna do this alone, but either way I definitely have to do this."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned shrugged, "It would be fun. Come on Peter, you can pull some strings, can't you?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'll think about it," Peter relented, running a hand through his hair as he appeared to be thinking about something./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie ran to the other side of the table to hug Peter, "Great! I can help both of you come up with the perfect audition material. All you guys have to do is practice singing it, I promise!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After lunch, the day consisted of Annie going through all the music on her phone. Along with her constantly bugging Peter and Ned about audition song ideas. Then she was worrying about what she was going to sing. The songs needed to be nice enough, but not overused at the same time. She was positive that if Ms. Beauregard heard one of the girls sing "Popular" one more time in her class that she was going to scream. Granted, Annie felt the same way after having heard every other girl use that damn song for an audition when she was in Seattle. Annie worried about the audition so much that she forgot about the other, much more important issues she was dealing with. Issues that included going and attempting to get Tina to finally say something that could help herself and Spider-Man to find out who was running that trafficking ring./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Well, it wasn't that she forgot about Tina, it was for the best for Annie to have something else to focus her energy on. If she let herself stay up another moment worrying about what happened to Tina, she would probably never get any sleep. Then she would just be useless all the way around. Granted, Annie had been getting a minimal amount of sleep even with her and Spider-Man insisting on not working with Tina every single day. She wasn't supposed to work on it, but that didn't mean Annie didn't feel her hands grow a little clammy whenever she thought about the night she found Tina./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Truth be told, Annie had been trying to come up with plans and ideas. It was a no brainer for her, all those girls could be her age or younger didn't get to sleep easily. Why should she? Besides, coffee was just the perfect fix for a bit of sleep deprivation. Albeit it was probably irresponsible and definitely terrible for Annie to go out stopping crime and go to school and stay up until two in the morning. It was a wonder she hadn't gotten a cold yet, especially when all her suit consisted of was a hoodie and a pair of leggings. Though she started putting more shirts underneath the hoodie to keep warm. She needed to get that new suit as soon as possible./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Although, the change of her mental energy was welcome, it was clearly obvious that Annie had to be fixated on something. It was even more noticeable when someone could just look over her shoulder to see three lists with all kinds of colors on the paper, some things crossed out. People probably thought she was being obsessive, and they wouldn't have been wrong. Though, that never worried Annie or her parents, she'd always had phases where she went a million miles a minute./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" By the end of the day, Annie had only been able to find Peter, it seemed that Ned had left early for a doctor's appointment. Which meant that Peter was going to end up listening to Annie talking his ear off about musicals while they worked on physics homework in the library. Of course, Annie wasn't sure if she was bothering him or not, but she continued talking anyways. If he wasn't stopping her, Annie assumed that her constant rambling wasn't aggravating him./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Come on, just listen to them, all those musicals are on Netflix," Annie begged as they were putting their books back into their bags./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter shook his head and sighed as he glanced at the multicolored mess that was Annie's list, "You know I don't have time for that."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But, Pete, you could do so good! At least listen to the soundtracks, that's all you really need to do," she continued before adding, "Besides, if you can find time to have Star Wars marathons, you can find time to watch a couple."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He shrugged a bit, "I'll see, I'm not sure what's going on with my internship tonight. And Star Wars nights are untouchable, and you know that."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They had been staying after school to help Annie with physics for the last couple of weeks. Annie managed to prove that she wasn't completely hopeless at the subject, she just needed a different way of looking at the problems. Though there was still a long way for her to go. With Midtown being a science school, she needed to ace those physics tests in order to be competitive in academics. At least, that was the excuse she gave for caring about the subject so much. In reality, Annie could have passed the class on her own, but she wanted to know more so she could eventually understand her powers better. Although, getting the chance to hang out with Peter was an added bonus./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Thankfully, Peter didn't seem to mind. He would always be the one to end the sessions. After that, he would walk Annie home, him joking that she would probably get lost again. She didn't stop him, though, she knew that being a girl and walking home later in the day was rather risky. Then, Annie would suit up and meet Spider-Man at the same place that they dropped Tina off. It was their only lead with the trafficking ordeal, but Tina was rarely any kind of help./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The lack of help confused Annie, and she could tell that it confused Spider-Man as well. She wouldn't let up on who her real family was or where she'd come from. It was impossible for Annie to understand, but she knew that she would never truly understand Tina. There was no way to truly understand the things she went through. Especially when she wasn't always clear about what she did when talking to the heroes./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina had let up on a few things. Things like how the pimp had gotten the black-haired girl started on heroin. How Tina had been moved from Nevada to New York due to demand. She never had anyone to help get her out. All Tina could do was lose herself in her clients. At least, that was the way she had put it. Annie felt pangs of hurt, wishing that she had somehow been able to be there and help Tina before everything had gotten as bad as it was. Even though she knew that it would have only meant Annie would have found a different girl in the alley that night./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It turned out that Tina was seventeen. An age so close to Annie's that in left knots tightening in her stomach. Had Annie ever been close to ending up in Tina's situation before? The thought quickly left her mind, knowing that it would have done nothing more than keep Annie awake in the middle of the night. Still, despite how cruel the pimp was, Tina refused to give up the man's identity. Neither Annie nor Spider-Man could understand why that was. In her mind, it almost sounded as if Tina were in love with the guy. Maybe it was a depressing form of Stolkholm Syndrome, but that didn't make it any less complicated./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Point blank, there wasn't much of a case. Tina had yet to give away any information that could lead anywhere. Perhaps that was the point, making the pair of heroes feel like they knew something. Though, when both of them looked back on it, they only knew the nature of the situation. Until that particular day when Tina gave the slightest lead that Annie had barely even noticed./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How'd you even get wrapped up in this?" Annie asked, shifting in the seat that surrounded a table of the dining hall./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina paused, "Are you just meaning if I got into pot before smack or if I was kidnapped or what?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Not quite. Like, were you raped and thrown into a scam or was it a drug deal gone wrong? Runaway maybe?" she prompted, thinking of some of the stories she'd read to help give herself some ideas./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina shrugged her shoulders, "He offered me a modeling job while I was alone at the mall, gave me this card. Said I was real pretty, it started simple enough. It was just a photoshoot or two. Then a trip to his studio out of town, and we went there more and more…. One day he showed me to a friend and I ended up fucking him. It happened so gradually, I guess I didn't realize."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And how'd you get into drugs? Did you… do… uh, did you do something… with your um… with your pimp?" Spider-Man asked. Annie was positive the guy underneath was redder than his costume./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You mean was my pimp my dealer and did I fuck him too? I guess saying no would be a lie…" Tina said in response, seeming to be thinking about something./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The charges against Tina's pimp just stacked in Annie's head. Drugs, trafficking, dealing, statutory rape, rape in general, the list just continued growing. Annie was almost certain that murder fit into the mix somewhere. It was obvious that the man who Tina appeared to care for was worse than a piece of garbage./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When it seemed that Tina was getting irritated with both heroes, Annie suggested that they leave for the evening. All Annie wanted was to finally crack Tina open, just so she could understand the other girl better. If only she could establish more trust with Tina, maybe then she'd trust Annie a little bit more. Though maybe it had to do with the fact that Annie was in a costume the whole time. Maybe if she met Tina while not being a superhero it would go differently, but she doubted that the opportunity would ever present itself./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, Spider-Kid, what do you think we should do for dinner?" Annie asked as they walked out of the homeless shelter, the sky already darkened./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The male sounded like he rolled his eyes at the nickname, "Well, Bird-Girl, I was thinking about getting something from that hot dog truck that's about a block away."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You're kidding right? You can't actually smell that far away, can you?" she questioned with a small laugh, following Spider-Man./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He laughed a bit, "I-I actually can. My senses are dialed to eleven, it kinda sucks."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well yeah, you're in a huge city where everyone's doing something at all times. I don't think I could handle it," she said as they stopped in front of the hot dog truck./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie just got a normal hot dog, but Spider-Man always got a ton of food. He blamed it on a scarily fast metabolism, but she never really paid much attention to it. The people working the truck were a bit surprised to see a couple of heroes just getting food. She couldn't understand why, everyone had to eat at some point. At least it got both of them a sort of discount. They were familiar with Spider-Man, and Annie guessed that they just figured she was a friend or a hero by association./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting dinner after talking to Tina had become routine for the pair. That was when they got to talk about everything that happened. If they were going to have any major breakthroughs, hopefully it would be over some dinner while on the top of a skyscraper. It was a nice feeling, getting the chance to see the sky and all the buildings around. The city was prettier when she was able to see everything without feeling as though everything was stacked on top of itself./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Alright, Spidey, lift me up, my dude," Annie said, standing next to him with a hot dog in hand./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You sure you don't wanna try using your powers to lift yourself up? I'm telling you, I think you could do it. That would be way cool."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Eh, maybe later, I don't feel like ruining my hotdog while trying to learn a new move."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"Spider-Man had an arm around her waist before he shot up to the top of the building they stood next to. Then they both sat on the roof, starting to eat. Being with each other like that made things private but casual. Annie found Spider-Man to be kind of funny sometimes. Sometimes it felt like she had known him for years and that they were good friends. Friends who shared being a hero in common. It felt like nothing would have changed if they knew each other in person. Though the guy could be insufferable when he brought up everything he had already done. It felt like he talked about stealing Captain America's shield just to irritate her a bit./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Anyways… you noticed that lead, right?" Annie asked, interrupting his fifteenth recount of Germany as she took another bite of her hotdog./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" His eyes seemed to squint in thought, his mouth slightly opened in confusion, "How was any of that a lead?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "We know how the guy finds girls. I'm a teenage girl, if I went to the right place at the right time and got a card or something like she did, we'd have a name," she explained./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Then the eyes on his suit widened, becoming completely white, "No! You can't do that! Swan, if you're not careful then… I'm not sure you could get things to go the way you want."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It would just be a card, jeez, I wouldn't need to do anything else," she insisted, finishing up her food./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" He glanced at her, "You know it would be more than that. You would over investigate. Normally… normally that's fine, but he has other people."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, but we could take them down together, I get us on the inside and we trap them together. You know, doing what the cops obviously aren't," Annie replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man sighed, "It's too dangerous, and it relies on you being in the right place at the right time."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But we both have powers, they don't have any! We could take them so fast and they'd never see us coming!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You don't know, there's so much more that Tina isn't telling us and I doubt she would know all that much about whatever organization it is anyways."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They argued over practicalities and leads for the whole time they were up there. Annie thought it was nice that Spider-Man cared about what she did. Despite that, she was going along with her plan. He couldn't stop her, she wouldn't be in costume anyways. Like she'd claimed before, she just wanted to get a card. Something that could be more evidence. She figured that if the guy really wanted more supply in New York that he wouldn't be too hard to find if she looked carefully./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both of them agreed on just keeping their identities secret. There was no reason for either of them to know. If anything, it would only complicate their weird form of friendship. She also liked the type of anonymity it gave her. It was like they knew each other, but the reality was that they knew absolutely nothing about each other./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Granted, Annie had a list of people she suspected. Flash, Peter, and a couple other guys were on the list. Though when Annie asked Peter about his internship, the stories felt real enough. Still, every skinny guy that was a few inches taller than her was put on the list and Peter was certainly up there, but he wasn't the prime suspect./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Then again, it was bold of her to assume Spider-Man went to Midtown in the first place. Queens was a huge area, the guy could have been in so many different schools. He was probably some guy that went to a school across from where she went for all she knew. For all she was aware, she didn't know his secret identity personally anyways. It was possible that she had never even walked past him on the streets./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" That would probably make more sense anyways for the fact that Annie liked to think that she knew the voices of the handful of people who she knew in New York. Not to mention Spider-Man's seemingly unique personality. The odds of Annie knowing Spider-Man when she cross referenced personality with height and build, there were only two or three guys that Annie could really suspect. Perhaps, the mystery of who Spider-Man really was would remain unsolved in her mind./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Besides, Annie had better things to keep herself awake at night. Between the promise she had made to Peter and Ned alongside the makeshift mission with Tina, the young hero was swamped. It didn't' help that it felt like Harper was beginning to get tired of Annie focusing on the same two things, claiming that she needed to get a hobby or a love life. Something to keep her from obsessing so much about the problems around her./p 


	5. Chapter 5

p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" What Annie needed to do was redesign the White Swan costume. Remaking her beaten up costume into a dream suit was easier said than done. It wasn't even designing the suit that made things difficult, though drawing was far from her forte and the suit hardly ever looked proportional to an actual body. The difficult part was finding the time to draw inconspicuously without anyone seeing just what she was doing. Getting caught drawing her suit and having someone figure out her superhero alias would have been the death of the girl./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" On a chilly, late November morning, Annie laid on the dark yellow carpet of her bedroom while sketching the suit. She didn't lay on her pillowtop mattress because of how likely it was that she would crawl under her purple comforter and fall back asleep. There were various showtunes playing in the background coming from her laptop that was sitting on her desk across the room as she tried to work. It wasn't just any showtunes, though, they were a playlist of all the possible audition songs she had been thinking about between Ned, Peter, and herself. Even songs for future use for herself were being thought of. Annie simply couldn't get herself to stop multitasking./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Besides, part of what had convinced Peter and Ned to audition was her promise to find the songs for them. That promise was easier said than done, though. Finding simple songs that weren't overused was quite the challenge. Only because she was normally looking for soprano pieces, not tenor and bass ones. Though the time spent in her room was cut short when she decided that the solution to her losing focus due to being tired was coffee instead of getting more much needed sleep after the long night she'd had coupled with regular patrolling and talking to Spider-Man./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"~*~*~*~*~/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Did I ever tell you about the time I stole Captain America's shield?" Spider-Man asked, shoving some nachos supreme in his mouth./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie rolled her eyes as she swallowed some of her taco, "Yep, only every other time we get food, you say something about that damn fight in Germany./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh… well, I mean I fought Ant-Man while he was giant… Germany was really cool, you know. You would've probably liked it," the male replied with a shrug./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie's jaw dropped, "What the hell?! That guy was, like, my idol!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "He's a war criminal… you know that, right?" Spider-Man questioned, his eyes squinting almost as though he were accusing her of something./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a small shrug, "He's a good guy though, morality is perceptive… you're just getting all defensive because you have your dick out for Tony Stark."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Do not!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Do too!/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I wasn't getting defensive, Swan, but you're siding with people who were helping a murderer," the male hero pointed out./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie scoffed, "You and I both know James Barnes was a prisoner of war first. That was mind control, all that shit wasn't his fault./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But he killed people, that's not right. It was someone's fault," Spider-Man replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, "Then blame the people who put him in that situation. Not the guy who was caught in the middle of everything."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So… what you're saying is that if you were in Germany we wouldn't have been on the same side, would we?" he questioned./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She shook her head, tugging on her white hood, "I'm afraid not, Spidey… but we argue a lot anyways, does that surprise you?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man shrugged in response and they both ate in silence the rest of the time. Though, Annie wasn't sure how to feel about it. She hadn't been involved in the fight, and maybe that was for the best. The side she'd been on was decided to have been in the wrong, but she wasn't sure she cared. Maybe she just needed to stop thinking about it./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… anyways, are there any girls you've been crushing on?" Annie asked in an attempt to change the subject./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man looked over quizzically, "You're asking me about girls?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well unless you're into guys, that's totally cool too. I was just wondering, obviously you have a life outside of this," Annie responded./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Spider-Man sighed a bit, "Okay, fine. I guess that there's this one girl…"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"~*~*~*~*~/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Of course, the coffee machine was still unpacked and most likely buried in one of the boxes that was supposed to have been unpacked, but between her parents and herself being busy it just wasn't done. That also meant that there probably weren't any coffee grounds either, so she wasn't going to bother digging through all the unpacked boxes that were left precariously around the apartment. She had been living in the new apartment for nearly a month and she still couldn't make coffee there./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, dad, I'm going to the corner store for some coffee, you want something?" she asked, watching as her father was creating a slide show on his desktop computer. It was most likely for one of his university lectures, and he would most likely come back and complain about how nearly none of his students had nearly enough passion for the topic. That was how it was with Annie's dad, people were never interested in his passions even if they actually were./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It took the black-haired man a few moments to look up from his computer screen, "Oh, um, yes, could you get me a black coffee?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Yep, have fun making that lecture, dad," Annie commented as she pocketed the money that her father handed her./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The man hardly looked up from the computer as she left. That didn't exactly surprise Annie, but sometimes it left her feeling a bit ignored. Sometimes, more often than not in reality, it felt like he barely noticed her. It felt as though she could get up and run away and he would never even notice. It wasn't that Carter Hardwick was neglectful. At the end of the day, he would seem to care about her in his own odd way, but work often came before her. Annie had commented on it before, but he would just point out the amount of money that he made from being a professor. It was to the point that she had stopped trying to point out that maybe, just maybe, he should focus on her and her mother a little bit more than he did. A part of her just wished that money didn't matter./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Most of the time, Annie wouldn't bring up how much her mother made from being a lawyer. Let him justify his bullshit, she thought as she walked down the block. It wasn't like she had ever gotten him to stop, and she had spent years trying to do just that. A cool breeze cut through the black leggings Annie wore and she tugged her dark blue hoodie around herself. The late November chill proved that Thanksgiving was less than a week away, meaning that Christmas as well as the audition were just around the corner./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Walking into the store, the first thing she felt was the warmth of walking inside, the heated air feeling amazing against her cool legs. Then, Annie did a double take as she scanned the store. A girl with crutches and short, kinky black hair seemed to be looking around at some of the candy and chips. It was definitely Tina, there was no question about that./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The initial plan was to avoid her at all cost. She didn't have to go anywhere near Tina, there was no reason to even talk to her in the first place. It wasn't like the other girl would outright accuse her of being a superhero, but that didn't ease her racing heart. While, walking over to her to see how she was doing did feel tempting, Annie doubted that it was worth it. She just wouldn't take any risks, not today when she was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. However, there was only one way to get to the coffee and that involved passing by Tina. They were complete strangers, though, it would be fine. Her costume had kept her hidden for a few years, it could continue to do so for ten seconds or less. At least, that was what Annie kept telling herself in attempt to calm herself down. There was nothing for her to worry about. Although, that wasn't going to plan when walking behind Tina completely surprised her. It had caused Tina to fall, of course, she couldn't just leave Tina on the ground like that./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Shit! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that, oh my god I am seriously so sorry," Annie rambled, offering a hand to help the other girl up./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina had a frown as she accepted the hand and used a crutch to get herself to stand back up, "You coulda said something. Ya know, told me you were coming behind me."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "R-right, I'm really sorry about that. Seriously, I could get you something to make it up to you," Annie offered, looking at the linoleum floor./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina shook her head, "No, I don't need your pity."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's not about that, I just wanna help," Annie insisted, crossing her arms./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina huffed, "I don't need it."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "But, Tina, you do, just- "/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How do you know my name?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gulped and choked on the mixture of saliva and air in her throat. Her light brown face turned into a shade of bright red. She mentally kicked herself as she tried to think of an excuse. Only, there wasn't one. It was just her being stupid and not thinking before she spoke. Maybe she should have just laid on her bed and slept instead of trying to persevere through her exhaustion./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina blinked, "Um… don't die?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I uh… I work at the soup kitchen," Annie replied with coughs in between some of her words./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The other girl glared, her dark brown eyes almost looking like they turned completely black, "That's bullshit and you know it. Are you stalking me?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No, not that at all, I swear. Woah woah woah, you can put that crutch down I'm not gonna hurt you… put that crutch down… ow! Fucking hell!" Annie exclaimed as the crutch dug into her foot, earning a few weird looks from the handful of people in the store./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The crutch only dug into her foot more. It was placing just the right amount of pressure to where it was nearly unbearable. Annie couldn't even stop a barrier of energy from forming and then bursting, pushing the crutch off. Thankfully it had just been Tina and herself there to see it. What left Annie worried was whether or not she would do something else like that again. It wasn't like she was trying to make a point, it just kind of happened. Almost as though she had lost control for a split second, but she stopped worrying as much once nothing else happened./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh… you're-"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Not here, okay? Let me buy my coffee and get you something too. Then we can talk about it," Annie pleaded, her light brown eyes widened as she hoped that there wouldn't be any confrontation right in front of so many people./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina gave a sigh, almost like she was still contemplating her decision, "Okay, fine… but you owe me a huge explanation."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Of course, yeah, I'll do that. And you'll get it. Just not this second, okay?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting two cups of black coffee and a bottled, sweetened black tea took all of five minutes. The whole time, the brunette's heart was racing and she felt like she could throw up all over the polite cashier. No one had ever found her out before this. Yes, people had gotten close, but that hardly meant anything unless they actually knew her true identity. There were now so many ways that Tina could get back at her. Though, Annie hoped that wouldn't be the case. At least, that was what she kept thinking as she stuffed the change into her hoodie pocket. If more people found out who she was, she would probably spontaneously combust and then she would never have to deal with keeping secrets ever again./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Also, we gotta take a detour to my place, this extra coffee was for my dad," Annie explained as she walked out of the store with Tina, the cold air practically slapping her in the face./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" A cold breeze passed through again, causing Annie's long, dark hair to get in her face. With both hands holding onto the corner store coffees, she couldn't get the annoying strands of hair out of her face. All she could do was keep her mouth closed so none of her hair would get into her mouth. She had already choked on her own spit, she didn't want to choke on her own hair next. At least her hands were warm. She couldn't imagine holding a cold drink in the chilled weather./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"When she glanced at Tina, she felt a pang of guilt as she saw the other girl moving slowly with her crutches and cold drink. There she was, dragging the other girl around when that was probably all Tina had gone through for who knew how long. Still, Annie knew that her dad would probably say a few things if she didn't get him his coffee. Plus, Annie hadn't planned on seeing Tina in the first place. Then again, it wasn't like Annie was keeping the other girl hostage. She had questions and wanted answers, answers that Annie did feel were justified./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Once the girls made it to the apartment building, Tina cleared her throat, "Do I go up with you?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Yeah, j-just say you're my new friend if anyone asks," Annie replied, leading the way into the tall building./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting to the apartment, Annie didn't know what was sadder, that her dad never questioned Tina walking in or that the landlord asked a bunch of questions about the other female. Thankfully, Tina played it cool as they left. It wasn't that Annie wanted her dad to give Tina the third degree, but she wanted her dad to act like he cared more often. She wished he would have said hello or who he was, something that she thought normal parents did. Sure, Annie wasn't their blood-related child, but she thought that meant that her parents had made the conscious choice to care about her. The more Annie grew up, the more it felt like only her mom had made that decision./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina huffed as they continued to walk some more, "Where are you taking me? This hobbling around hurts like a bitch,"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Just across this street. You just gotta be patient," Annie responded, rolling her eyes a bit./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Says the one who's not on crutches."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Says the one who tried to crush my foot."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Touchè."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie and Tina made their way into the library. It took a moment to find an empty space where they wouldn't have to worry about being overheard. Though, it took a bit, Annie hadn't thought it took that long. However, the sigh that Tina let out seemed to say otherwise. The enclosed room was walled with green glass. Annie wasn't sure where to start, so she took a big drink of her black coffee./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, what's your name anyways?" asked Tina./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The other girl swallowed the warm liquid, "Annika, but everyone just calls me Annie."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hmm… so what're you really trying to do, talking to me?" Tina asked, opening her tea./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie bit her lip in thought, "With what? With you or with my own image as a hero or?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No, obviously, why're you helping me?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Because you deserve better than you're getting, than you've gotten in the past."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How would you know what I deserve?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I know because no one, and you listen to me Tina, no one deserves to be hurt in the way that you were."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You really think that?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Yes! Of course I do. I'm not a hero just for the glory… then I would've quit a long time ago, because there's not much glory in it all."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina nodded a little bit, "So, that Spider-Man guy… what's your deal with him?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Honestly, I have no fucking clue. I know he's a bit… ah what's the word for it?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Awkward yet cocky?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Sure, but his heart's in the right place, I wouldn't say cocky… anywho, I thought maybe we could be friends or something like that."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, no way. You're saying that to break me down and find out more about me and to get me even more roped into whatever it is that you and that other guy have planned."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's not that at all! You need someone to talk to. I know what it's like to be alone, just let me help you, could you do that?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Of course, Annie wanted to know more relating to the case she was trying to crack that had everything to deal with Tina. Why wouldn't she want that? But the poor girl in front of her was in desperate need to talk to someone. It was written in the bags under her nearly black eyes. She needed someone there for her, anyone. If talking to Tina in the past had told Annie anything, it was that she was exceedingly lonely. Odds were that Tina couldn't get through what was happening if she were left alone. Annie worried that she would just go back to the man who had treated her so cruelly. She could get away with it too, given how little information she and Spider-Man had./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You won't tell your hero friend about any of this, will you?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No, I-I'm not trying to be involved like that. This is just me being normal and trying to be your friend simply because that's what I want."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Normal people don't hang out with homeless teens," Tina pointed out, her dark eyebrows raised./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Eh, I was never super normal to begin with, powers or not."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" For the first time in weeks, Annie found herself getting to Tina. It wasn't by much, but they were just talking. Not about the past that led them to the positions that they were currently in, no, they talked about regular things. Favorite movies, getting jobs, starting at new schools, the things that regular friends talked about on a regular day. Things like how Tina wouldn't be going to Midtown, but rather some normal high school somewhere in the neighborhood. Annie wished they would be at the same school, though, for the sole purpose of no longer being the token new-girl./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They continued talking for hours. Tina didn't say a thing about being trafficked, but she listened as Annie blabbered on about the school musical and her other friends. Occasionally, Tina would say something, but she tended to avoid saying anything of substance. As much as Annie wanted to comment on it, she knew it wasn't the time or the place./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Though, they did have to go home eventually and when they got to the homeless shelter, Annie hugged Tina./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "If you need anything, call me, I gave you my number for a reason, okay?" Annie said, looking at Tina dead in the eyes./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Tina gave a nod that seemed reluctant, "Okay, but I'm safe now, honestly. I'm just trying to finish school and get back on my feet."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a nod, "I know, but I also know that shit happens. So when it does, I'm here."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It didn't matter if Tina would tell her anything about being hurt or not. Annie truly did just want to help. For a moment, being successful or powerful wasn't what mattered to her. That was all the motivation that she needed to throw herself back into being a multitasking hero who kept promises to as many people as she could. Whether she knew them that well or not. It gave her enough energy to continue getting things done at a million miles a minute. Maybe trying to do things so quickly wasn't the best idea, but that hardly mattered to Annie either./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" That Monday, Annie had gone through the day with more energy than she thought she could have had. There was this spring in her step as she finally felt herself accomplishing some of her goals. At least, she had better ideas for the auditions that she could hardly wait to tell Peter and Ned about. Not to mention how the suit she had a sketch of in her dresser drawer was starting to come together. Though, it didn't seem that the boys were talking about anything that she was thinking of./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "What time do you want us over on Thursday?" Ned asked Peter as Annie sat down./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie cocked her head, "What's so special about Thursday?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Um… I don't know, maybe the fact that it's Thanksgiving? Come on, get with it!" Ned exclaimed, sounding incredulous./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter nodded a bit, "Yeah, did you have any plans for Thursday? I mean, I'm sure my aunt would love to meet you. I mean, it could be fun."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When the girl took a moment to step back, she could remember her mom saying something about her dad being gone on some literature conference in Philadelphia for the holiday. Her mom had wanted to do something, but there was still so much happening with getting settled in and it just being the two ladies in the apartment that day anyhow. Though, perhaps she could get the chance to bring Tina along too. To show that she was being serious about just being friends for the sake of friendship, not to get ahead./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, would it be okay if there were two other people? I could make some food to help make up for it," Annie offered before adding, "I make a great potato salad."/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter shrugged, "I don't see why not, but you don't need to make anything… who were you thinking about?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, well, there's my mom and then this one girl I met a few days ago, Tina, she's kinda lonely and I think she could use the whole, having-people-around thing," Annie explained, giving a tiny shrug, "She might not even come because, well, she doesn't know you guys. It could be fun though!"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter spat out his chocolate milk, the liquid getting all over his food. His eyes seemed to widen a bit and he looked like he was trying to say something to Ned with his eyes. Why Peter was reacting this way, she had absolutely no clue./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Is it because you're nervous about meeting girls or something?" Annie asked teasingly with a small laugh./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter shook his head, "No, uh, I just… needed to cough and I kinda did… you're not bringing her to set one of us up, are you?"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "No, no, it's not that… I met her when I was getting coffee and I almost knocked her out. She's been having a rough time and I wanna help," Annie replied./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter nodded, "Yeah, we got that… um sure, that's fine,"/p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Despite the words leaving the other boy's mouth, Annie couldn't help wondering if he had been telling the truth. Something told her that he was hiding something, but she didn't have the ability to find out what. There was a reason as to why he had been so surprised, and she couldn't understand why that was. Maybe it was because he didn't know Tina and he really did have to cough. Something told her that wasn't the case, though./p  
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" However, Annie didn't have enough motivation to figure out what was going through Peter's head. Besides, it wasn't like she was a mind reader. She controlled energy, not people. That was probably for the best, even if that meant she wasn't able to know what Peter was doing. More importantly, how Ned was involved in whatever it was Peter was doing. Though, perhaps she was just looking into it too much and needed to get a full night's rest before she started jumping to conclusions./p 


End file.
